Canadair CL70 CFR 58-91588

[maple_leaf_eh]

What is the NATO stock number of your pallet-mounted tool box? I might be able to find out the original price. Then, you'll see whether you or the Queen got the better deal on auction.

[Robin Craig]

Terry I will look for the NSN over the next couple of days.

Thank you

[Robin Craig]

We have through another forum found that there is another RAT undergoing a make over up at the Montreal Aviation Museum under the stewardship of Mr Ken Frincken.

The unit they have is not quite the same as this one and I suspect that as it came from the estate of a former Canadair senior employee that it may be an pre production unit judging by some of the comments that he has made.

Theirs is ahead of our in completion and we expect to visit each others machines during the coming year, if not get them side by side.

In delving through some of the photos sent by Ken I have spotted that the chassis frame of theirs has the centre support as our spare does, something tells me theirs is a pre production machine and ours is a later machine.

[Robin Craig]

This past week we started into the front car of ours.

It had been suggested that the car was built around the fuel tanks. We suspected differently and that was our direction.

After removing the flange from around the filler neck we would see the filler neck flange connection to the fuel tank. We knew then that progress to remove the tanks was indeed very possible.

The tanks are held suspended off the floor of the car by two saddle straps that are bolted through the side of the car. Once we got these apart and were able to twist and fenagle the tanks around we could get all the crews out and the necks came off. Once the lines were off the tanks came out quite easily.

I want to try to get one tank functioning if at all possible, I am ok with having one only, the other tank looks sketchy, but we haven't look at the tanks in the parts front car as yet.

The best tank will go out for cleaning this coming week.

[Robin Craig]

One of the details on the vehicle that intrigues me and I really want to make sure gets cleaned up and noticed is the centre of the steering wheel. It just says "pride" to me.

[Robin Craig]

This being a long weekend in Ontario for most people except Post Office employees, I got some time to do some more work.

I started by building a small deck platform to the same external size as the chassis frame. Then I cut a bunch of small blocks and stops and created this chassis jig.

I still need to make another jig for the side of the chassis but that is a job for Tuesday night as the glue has to set up on this overnight.

I have a take off for the material and hopefully this week I shall be cutting stock and fabricating part of a frame. We suspect that the originals were produced using oxyacetylene welding. We will be using mig for ours. The last picture shows some if the ice damage caused where water go inside the frame.

I am dead chuffed with the progress.

[Robin Craig]

I get a chuckle out of the fact over 900 people have viewed this thread but very few comments.